We need new, fresh content on digital platforms: Gulshan Grover

Veteran actor Gulshan Grover, who is gearing up for his first ever web-film "Badman", says people who are investing in the digital world today should try to showcase "new and fresh" content instead of airing old shows and films.

"Badman", which will be aired on Viacom18's digital platform Voot, will feature Gulshan in the lead role.

The web-film will be aired in four parts starting mid-May.

Though Gulshan states that it's not a web-series.

"It's a film that I have done. It's a web film. Since digital is an evolving and newer form of entertainment, clarity is not there as to what is a web series. Everything that comes on digital platform feels like a series. And that is what is actually happening also," Gulshan said during his visit to the IANS headquarters here on Friday.

"This is a pioneering effort by Viacom 18, director Soumik Sen and me to change that (image) and also get some dignity and respect for the interest of web watching audience. What has happened is that everybody is saying that the future form of entertainment is going to be digital.

"Larger corporations are investing in the digital world. But they are not treating the audience with new and fresh content. They are giving them everything old -- like films that have been shown in theatres or TV. Those are the films that are dished out to the future audiences," Gulshan, who has been a part of the entertainment industry for a few decades, added.

He said that "Badman" will inspire other filmmakers, who are not able to showcase their films in theatres, to come to the digital world to release their film.

"What 'Badman' is going to do is that it will create a situation where others will also make more movies. There are a lot of stories that don't require the scale of 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', 'Chennai Express' or 'Golmaal'. But they are interesting films and have interesting stories that require a very unusual casting and storytelling," Gulshan said.

"If this experimentation of 'Badman' with me as the hero becomes successful, then it will open doors for people, who always say that we have a great idea or a story but the frightening infrastructure of distribution to cinema would not allow that story to be made," he added.

Gulshan feels that digital platform tells the real success rate of a film.

"Here on digital platform nobody can control the success of the film. Nobody can say that his film is a super-hit. How many people are viewing it, its all there. Also its there forever.

While films released in theatres are there for a limited time, so is not the case with digital platform. Here everything is available for a lifetime," he said.

Actor Chunky Pandey will be seen playing the negative role in "Badman".

The web-film will also feature cameos by veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, ace choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan, director Shoojit Sircar and actress Manisha Koirala.